Timely Reminisce
by yukuro
Summary: A look into the past as Oishi grows in Seigaku, along with the people he met and the friend he grew to love. After all, not all relationships began with just one person in the heart. [OishixKikumaru], [TezukaxFuji]
1. Part One

**Disclaimer:** yuku no own-y ;.;

**Pairing:** OishixKikumaru, TezukaxFuji, little Oishi+Tezuka

            Timely Reminisce

                        Part One

                        by: yukuro

           Sometimes, when there was time to dream, Oishi would dream. Whenever there was time to think, Oishi would think. There were always times in bits of his busy day though, where Oishi would recollect memories of the past, smiling gently as he remembered every detail. Every fragment of his past, every memory and every smile, was always precious to him. But of all of his precious memories, there would always be one important person that stuck out in his mind.

            It wasn't whom he had expected, as he thought about it in the present. With the way things had become, Oishi seemed to think a little less of that important person than before. There was always room for more people in Oishi's heart, but he would never forget the time when someone new dominated all of his heart, pushing out the old; only to be slowly replaced again by age.

            It wasn't too long ago since Oishi was a first year in Seishun Gakuen. With wide, innocent eyes, everything around him seemed so new and exciting. Junior high was a whole different world from primary school, and as any first year would be, Oishi was excited.

            Despite the new changes in life, some things never seemed to change. Immediately, the eager first year joined the tennis club with his best friend, and most important person at that time, at his side. In some ways, Oishi thought he may have really loved Tezuka back then. Maybe it wasn't romantically, but from the first moment he had seen those somewhat sadly determined eyes, Oishi knew that Tezuka Kunimitsu would always be important to him.

            As time passed on, Oishi met many new interesting people. He had made many friends with his caring heart and friendly smile. Tezuka, on the other hand… Oishi had always known Tezuka was different. Not in any way that made him strange in any way, but in a way that was hurtful to himself.

            Tezuka was like a child with an adult's soul. Even when they were still young, Tezuka would always be serious and responsible. He was completely independent. Already at an age so young, Tezuka had grown up; and maybe that was the first reason Oishi felt as if he was being left behind.

            When he thought about his adult-like friend, the green-eyed boy sometimes felt sad for him. What was it like? To grow up so quickly without enjoying the joys of childhood? What was like it to tower responsibility after responsibility on top of oneself until the wall became so high and thick, a person was unable to see freedom on the other side?

From the moment Tezuka fulfilled his responsibilities, it was telling the world he could handle it all. Of course from then on, the tower never became any shorter, nor the wall between freedom any thinner. Tezuka was already isolated in a world of expectations and responsibility. His time to free his childish innocence had already disappeared, and there was  no path to take backwards in time.

            Oishi knew this about Tezuka. He always saw it in his friend's eyes. Instead of independence though, Oishi saw it as a kind of thorned cage of solitary loneliness. At that time, there was nothing more that he wanted then to free the surely pure white dove within the lonely cage of thorns.

            "Oishi-kun. When our year comes, we have to lead Seigaku for sure to the National games. Definitely."

Maybe it was at that time when he decided Tezuka was most important to him. Because at that time he was sure that he would give everything to help Tezuka through life. The only thing he hoped was that he would be strong enough to follow after Tezuka. Tezuka, the strong, independent one; whose gaze never faltered when looking ahead. Tezuka, who never gave up. Tezuka, the silent, lonely one…

           "Tezuka-kun," Oishi had said one day. A day that he thought at that time would not be significant. Of course he didn't know that it would be that day that could have ultimately changed the future. "You know… You're my best friend. If you ever fall on your way to the golden future you dream of, or even the slightest slip along the way, I just want to tell you that I will always be running after you; and I will be sure that I'm always close enough to catch you."

            "Thank you," Tezuka had responded quietly. Even though his words were few, he had his entire soul poured into it. He knew that Oishi would understand though. Oishi always seemed to understand.

Without another word on the matter, Tezuka stared straight ahead again, looking towards the next thing that was coming. Tezuka Kunimitsu always looked straight ahead to the future. Not once has he ever paused or looked back on the way to achieve his dreams. "I'm going to be the top of the world someday, Oishi. Just wait and see."

            "I know you will," Oishi replied with a gentle smile. "I know you will…"

            Sometimes, Oishi thought to himself as he watched Tezuka from behind with a smile, sometimes it was alright to see his back. Oishi was always chasing after Tezuka, but he always seemed just out of reach. Seeing Tezuka's back move slowly further away was what always encouraged Oishi to get up again and keep running towards the future. Because the future was where Tezuka was going, and Oishi always wanted to be wherever Tezuka was going…

            It seemed that despite the unforgettable words Tezuka had spoken that morning, the weight of the world was still determined to come crashing down upon him. Why was it that destiny was determined to destroy his dreams? Suddenly, time stopped, and the entire world held its breath…

            "Tezuka-kun!"

            No words could stop what had already happened though. For that moment, the wind stopped blowing and fell into silence. No one dared to move for that second. No one breathed at the moment the racquet hit Tezuka's arm.

            It must have been the way destiny showed it would always be in Tezuka's way. No matter now hard he tried and how hard he worked, cruel destiny would always stand in his way. Just when Oishi thought the "golden future" was close to Tezuka's grasp, it seemed destiny always ensured it was just out of his reach. This was just another attempt to slow him down. The thing that Oishi feared most though, was that this could be what would finally make Tezuka halt.

            "How long have you been playing tennis?" Tezuka had demanded with a serious, almost painful, glint in his eyes, his right hand gingerly touching his left elbow. "A tennis racquet is not to hurt people with!"

            Oishi didn't dare to move. Even if he wanted to, his feet wouldn't move. He was in too much shock in what had just happened before his eyes. The glass road Tezuka ran on towards the future had just been struck and cracked. Glass is a fragile material; a single crack could affect the entire thing. Would the glass road collapse beneath Tezuka? Oishi could only stare in shock as Tezuka stormed towards the court entrances. The glass was cracked, and the damage was deep.

            Somehow, after Yamato-buchou arrived, Oishi found the courage to stand in front of Tezuka as they ran. He didn't do much, he knew. It was Yamato-buchou who spoke to Tezuka. It was Yamato-buchou who said all the things Tezuka needed to hear at that time. Oishi knew that, but for some reason he didn't feel completely satisfied.

            Shortly after the incident, everything fell back into place. Tezuka was still in the tennis club and he still was Oishi's best friend. Their relationship hadn't changed much, but a few slight changes were noticeable. Tezuka was just a bit quieter with renewed determination and Oishi spent more time letting Tezuka be on his own. It wasn't that Oishi wanted to leave Tezuka alone, it simply seemed that the silent boy with the glasses needed more time to himself. Oishi was simply understanding enough to respect his feelings.

            It was different not being with Tezuka everyday after tennis practice, Oishi noticed. But also, as time passed, the green-eyed boy couldn't think of Tezuka every moment of the day anymore. Some things become bigger, absorbing his heart up quickly.

            "N-No way… I lost?"

            Kikumaru Eiji had always been an outspoken person. He always said whatever he wanted and never thought about what others would think. The redhead was confident almost to a point of cockiness, but Oishi still smiled kindly at the other boy across the court.

            "Your acrobatics are really amazing," Oishi said with an admiring sparkle in his eyes. "It's unpredictable and really hard to catch. I hope we can play doubles sometime."

            "As if I'd want to play doubles with a boring guy like you!" Kikumaru had retorted, his pride stung when he lost to the green-eyed boy he had been ridiculing before, 4-6. "Let's play again! I'll win this time!"

            "Sure," Oishi had replied with bright eyes and a soft smile. The moment he saw the redhead's blazing dark blue eyes, Oishi felt his heart bubble. It didn't matter how many mean things Kikumaru said to him at that time, Oishi's heart simply continued to beat quickly with newly experienced emotions. It was exciting and new, and at that time, thoughts of Tezuka temporarily faded away.

            The result was always the same, a 6-4 victory for Oishi. Kikumaru accepted his defeat grudgingly that day and eventually left Oishi alone for a while. Whenever Oishi walked up that small hill to practice after the school's tennis practice, those times when Tezuka wasn't with him, he found his thoughts straying back to that match with the fiery-eyed Kikumaru. There was something about the boy's spirit that made Oishi constantly think about him despite the fact that he hadn't seen the boy around school lately.

            That day, Oishi practiced just as usual, hitting against the wall. There was nothing out of the ordinary. His mind was clear as he played tennis. Constant thoughts of Tezuka, Kikumaru, and problems all disappeared when he played tennis. It was freedom. That day though…

            Kikumaru leaned over the top of the large bin Oishi had been playing against and grinned down at the boy. "Oishi! I'll make a promise! Until the day I can beat you, I'll play doubles with you!"

            Oishi was surprised, but happiness spread through him. Making a new friend had never felt so good…except for the first time he had met Tezuka. It was almost a little frightening. Oishi didn't want to replace Tezuka in his heart, but then…

            "And while we play doubles over the years, I'll learn all your weaknesses so I can defeat you!" Kikumaru called out cheerfully, ignoring the shocked expression on the other boy's face. Reaching out to pull the green-eyed boy up to stand beside him, Kikumaru broke out in a smile. "From now on, you can call me Eiji."

            Fate had once again tangled itself around Oishi's fingers, making his heart skip vital beats with every sunny smile Kikumaru directed at him. The road before him was still long and filled with new adventures. Slowly but surely, new people came into his life and slowly filled the places that had once entirely belonged to Tezuka.

            Oishi saw less and less of Tezuka when the boy had become a Regular. Tezuka would always be busy training with the other Regulars or playing in tournaments. It was sad at some times, but Kikumaru instantly whisked him away in a whirlwind of laughter and jokes, instantly laying layers over the holes made by the sadness of Tezuka leaving him behind. The more time he spent with the energetic redhead, the dearer he became to Oishi. Replacement in his heart had already begun from the moment he first saw Kikumaru smile.

---

            The first year of middle school flew by in a flash after that. Before Oishi knew it, he was a second year student at Seigaku back in the tennis club as a Regular. He still had Tezuka as his best friend and he still played doubles with Kikumaru often. His time was torn between the two, yet he still found it possible to be with both.

            "Oishi!" Kikumaru exclaimed with a grin after afternoon tennis practice one day as they went out to eat ice cream together. "I heard from Kyoko-chan in your class that you were elected class representative! I can imagine you in that position!"

            Blushing slightly, Oishi rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand as Kikumaru licked his ice cream with a greatly amused expression. "A-ah… I was. I was really surprised actually… How are things in your class, Eiji?"

            "Oh," the redhead said suddenly, blinking when he remembered. Tapping his cheek with one finger, he said slowly, "This new transfer student just entered my class. His name is Fuji Syusuke. I think his brother just moved into Seigaku too."

            "Sounds interesting," Oishi commented politely, smiling at the redhead's cute display of tapping his cheek. "Do you get along with him?"

            "Fuji?" Kikumaru brought his hand down and grinned widely. "Oh yeah! He's amazing! He's really smart—they call him a genius. All the girls like him since he's always smiling and you know what else?!"

            Laughing slightly at how excited Kikumaru had become, Oishi licked his ice cream again, doing his best to push his jealous feelings back down. "No, I don't know. What else is there about Fuji?"

            "He plays _tennis_, Oishi!" Kikumaru said excited with sparkling eyes. "He's modest and all, but I heard from some of the guys that he's called 'tensai Fuji Syusuke' for tennis! I can't wait to bring him to club practice tomorrow. I really want to play him… Oi!  Isn't that the first year Momo over there? Momo!"

            Kikumaru was a happy, bouncing creature who everyone found easy to like. Oishi stood quietly with a smile as the redhead rushed to the younger boy nearby to pounce on him, bombarding him with questions and jokes that made them both laugh. It seemed, Oishi thought to himself as a small group of first years gathered around Kikumaru, that whether he was with Tezuka or Kikumaru, he always seemed to be slowly falling behind.

            Turning and blinking when he realized Oishi wasn't still behind him, Kikumaru waved at his doubles partner and flashed him a grin. "Come over here, Oishi! I'll introduce you to these cute first years over here!"

            A gentle smile crossed Oishi's face as Kikumaru rushed over to his side to drag him into the small group. Once again, he changed his mind. With Tezuka, Oishi could only follow slowly behind him as he advanced. But with Kikumaru, even though the redhead stretched far ahead, he would always be holding a hand back at him to pull him up alongside. "Eiji…"

            "This one's Momo!"

            "Come on, Eiji-senpai! Don't treat us like sheep or something!"

            "M-Momo, you shouldn't talk to Kikumaru-senpai like that…"

            "Hoi hoi, you! Lighten up! Kikumaru-senpai makes that an order!" Kikumaru laughed aloud, winking at the flustered first years while Momoshiro watched him with admiring eyes.

            Oishi had to at least slightly insecurely wonder. How long will that hand be stretched out to him? He felt as if he didn't want to let Kikumaru out of his reach anymore… After all, he had already done so with Tezuka.

            It was painful to be left behind. The more the thought hit him, Oishi realized, he was beginning to fear the loss of Kikumaru by his side more than the panicky feeling he felt whenever Tezuka retreated behind his barriers. Why was it though? Between Kikumaru's golden smile and Tezuka's golden future…

            _I don't want to fall behind…_

            Distance was beginning to grow inevitable, and it became harder and harder to cling onto those most important to him. Time will always be cruel in this sense.

            _Tezuka…I have to keep chasing after you…_

--- ---

**A/N:** ^^'' wow… I started this a while ago and never really finished it. This is only part one too! _;; Anyway…*sparkle* oh, Oishi-kun… XD He's such a sweet character. I've always wanted to write a piece about him. This is for his birthday on the 30th!

I had considered making this a one-shot thing…but then I got too many ideas so now it's in two parts. ^.^; Hopefully this part is ok…  
Oh…not much of the pairings in this half. X_x;; the pairings will definitely be there in the next part though. u_u;; ah, mengo mengo!~

*bow* thanks for reading and please review if you can! ^_^;;


	2. Part Two

**Disclaimer:** yuku wishes she happened to be the (probably) multi-millionaire Konomi-sensei-sama who owns Tenipuri… *sulk*

            Timely Reminisce

                        Part Two

                        by: yukuro

            Somehow everything always seemed to come crashing down all at once. Right when things begin to look a little brighter, another new person came along and dragged everything back down again. It wasn't that person's fault, really. Oishi couldn't blame anyone at all. Even so, he couldn't help but be just a little bitter.

            Momoshiro Takeshi and Kaidoh Kaoru happened to be an interesting pair of first years. Oishi spotted the two competing whenever they had the chance, well, that is whenever they had time between their constant bickering. Sometimes the fights were pointless and made Oishi exasperated, but he still couldn't hate them. Even if one of them happened to be the beginning of some of his troubles…

            "Were you fighting with Kaidoh again, Momoshiro?" Oishi asked with a slight sigh as Momoshiro walked into the clubroom after running twenty laps long after practice had ended. Not far behind the violet-eyed first year, Oishi saw Kaidoh storm off towards the courts. The sympathetic second year shook his head slightly. "You know, the only way to stop fighting is to find something important to you and concentrate on that whenever you even consider fighting."

            "That guy is the one who starts it, Oishi-senpai," Momoshiro retorted stiffly as he walked towards his clothes. "He's always provoking me."

            Just as Oishi opened his mouth to say something more, a familiar redhead popped his head into the room and grinned brightly at the two. Blinking, Oishi said in surprise, "Eiji? You're still here?"

            "Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you," Kikumaru said cheerfully, pushing the door open and crossing the room to pick up his tennis bag. "I was showing Fuji around after practice today. I think he's going to play with us soon."

            Picking up his bag, Kikumaru walked towards Momoshiro and ruffled the boy's hair with a grin on his face. "You pick a fight with Kaidoh again, Momo? That'll get in you some trouble one of these days!"

            "Eiji-senpai…!" Momoshiro whined good-naturedly, returning a brilliant smile back up at his senpai. The first year laughed along with the redhead when Kikumaru playfully held him in a headlock and rubbed the top of his head. "Hey!"

            "Don't worry, Momo! You've still got plenty more years to pick up girls, so you don't need to show off by fighting!" Kikumaru called with a wink as he headed towards the door. Stopping in the doorway, the second year grinned widely back at Oishi, waving in the process. "See you tomorrow, Oishi!"

            Oishi simply smiled kindly when the bouncy redhead darted out the door excitedly. Chuckling slightly, Oishi muttered to himself with a smile, "Eiji na yatsu…"

            "Ne, Oishi-senpai," Momoshiro said suddenly, bringing the older boy back with a blink. The shorter boy stared up at Oishi with an unfaltering gaze. "You said I should find something important to me to concentrate on, right?"

            "A-ah…" Oishi said, his expression softening slightly with a hint of confusion visible on his face. "Do you already have something important you're thinking of, Momoshiro?"

            "Eiji-senpai."

            Time slowed down for Oishi at that moment. It seemed that the world was on pause for a second before slowly playing again. Surprise wasn't the only element Oishi had bottled within him. There were plenty of other strange emotions stored inside that mixed around then, but he wasn't exactly ready to reveal those yet.

            "Why do you say that?" Oishi asked coolly, finally regaining his senses. His green eyes turned the slightest bit cold. Only the slightest bit, since Momoshiro really didn't notice at all.

            "Eiji-senpai is the best senpai I've ever had," Momoshiro responded cheerfully, not noticing at all the stiff way Oishi was standing. "Even though I'm just a first year, I feel like he really cares about me. I know he understands me too. That's why," his violet eyes suddenly glowed with determination, "I'm going to become strong and protect Eiji-senpai."

            Oishi was temporarily speechless. At that moment, the familiar emotions of being left behind flooded back to him. Was he really the only one afraid to move forward? It was easy for Kikumaru to make people like him and it was easy for Tezuka to have people respect him. The more Oishi thought about it, the colder he felt on the inside. "What makes you think Eiji needs to be protected?"

            "I think…it must hurt sometimes for him," the first year said quietly, his eyes straying to the ground. "Eiji-senpai is always smiling and carefree, so that's how people will always expect him to be. So sometimes, when people are mean to him or whenever he's lonely, he won't really show it. He'll just keep laughing the way everyone expects him to be. It hurts him that way though. I just don't want Eiji-senpai to be hurt."

            A cool silence hung between them as Momoshiro's words died on his lips. One had emotions filled with innocent admiration while the other was confused and slightly hurt. Seeing the growing sorrowful expression on Oishi's face, Momoshiro quickly added with a laugh, "Well that and I guess I hope to be a good senpai someday like him!"

            Strange how Oishi felt like he was continuously thrown in a whirlwind of painful emotions when it came down to Kikumaru and Tezuka. It made him feel so cold whenever the thought of Kikumaru disappearing from his side came to him. Yet, it was also too painful to snip his bond with Tezuka away to completely give to Kikumaru. He wondered how long he would remain immobile. Would it be like this until it was too late? Then, without noticing, Oishi's chase towards the future slowly paused to a halt.

           Walking along the sides of the courts the next day with his eyes downcast, Oishi thought carefully. His Regular jacket felt heavy on his shoulders. He knew there was really nothing else he feared more than being left behind, but it seemed that the more time progressed, the more inevitable it became.

            "Hey, did you see that new second year that just joined the club today? Suge! I can't believe how strong he is! He easily defeated three Regulars already without even playing seriously!"

            "No way! A second year?! What's his name?"

            "I heard it was Fuji. Fuji Syusuke. Come on! He's playing on A court with another Regular now!"

            Feet rooting to the ground, Oishi slowly brought his gaze up to watch the two third years dart off towards the A court for a glimpse at the new tennis prodigy. Just as he brought his gaze back to the ground, another pair of feet appeared beside his.

            "Oishi," Tezuka said quietly, his gaze directed straight ahead. The stoic boy never let his gaze falter even as Oishi looked up at him silently. Turning towards the A court, Tezuka said quietly, "Inui is losing."

            Oishi wasn't completely sure what happened next, but soon he found himself watching the match on A court behind the fence beside Tezuka. Watching the match closely, he noticed that Inui was indeed losing to the tennis club's new constantly smiling member. Outside of the court, Kikumaru was cheering the loudest for the smiling boy.

            "He's not playing seriously," Tezuka muttered, eyes narrowing slightly as the match progressed. "The match would have ended already if he did."

            Oishi's fingers tightened slightly on the gate. It was growing slightly difficult to focus on the match. After all the years Oishi and known Tezuka, he had never seen Tezuka's eyes look so focused before. Soon it was fixed in his eyes. Tezuka had taken Fuji Syusuke as a rival.

            The tennis club grew strangely silent when the two players stepped up to the net to shake hands. Most members stood in shock before erupting into whispers of disbelief.

            Inui happily walked off the court, muttering data to himself as he mentally wrote it down. The tall second year paused for a moment beside Tezuka and Oishi. "Tezuka," he said quietly with a slight smirk, "There could be someone on your tail. Be careful."

            Towel around his neck, Fuji stood by the bench, smiling easily as Kikumaru cheerfully bounced on him with a bottle of water. The redhead babbled excitedly to his new friend as they walked towards the court entrance together. "That was _amazing_, Fuji! I can't believe you—… Tezuka?"

            Blinking when he realized Tezuka had left his side, Oishi looked over to see Tezuka standing in front of Fuji and Kikumaru with his racquet in hand. Something in Oishi's chest twisted when he nervously looked at Tezuka's elbow. Walking to Tezuka's side, Oishi opened his mouth to say something in concern, but…

            "If you still feel like it, please play a set with me," Tezuka said sharply, his eyes locked on Fuji's face. The intensity on his face made it seem as if there was nothing else on the world. There was no whispering crowd, no shocked Kikumaru, and of course, no worried Oishi standing at his side.

            _Tezuka…_

            "Ah, I'm a little tired," Fuji said with a smile. Tezuka's frown tightened visibly, obviously noting the smiling boy's words were a lie. "How about a three-game set?"

            "That's fine. I'll expect you to play seriously this time though," the taller boy said simply, advancing towards the court with the smiling Fuji close behind.

            Fog appeared around Oishi's eyes as he watched Tezuka retreat into the court. When his friend walked away from him with Fuji at his side, Oishi felt as if Tezuka had already gone far out of reach.

            "Fuji's already so good," Kikumaru muttered, coming to stand next to Oishi with his eyes locked on the two standing on either sides of the net. "I can't believe it when Tezuka says he wasn't playing seriously…"

            Oishi remained silent to his friend's comment. At that moment, his emotions felt wilder than the tennis ball being hit back and forth across the net. The rope tying him to Tezuka seemed to be slipping from his grasp. His important person was beginning to slip away. But if that important person was Tezuka, why did Kikumaru's nervous clasp on his arm still feel so tight?

            Even when their short set match had finished, Oishi still watched Tezuka shake hands with Fuji with intent eyes. Tezuka had won the match, but he hadn't won the other thing he had been aiming for.

            "Why don't you play seriously?" Tezuka asked sharply when his hand met Fuji's.

            "I know my own defeat," the shorter boy replied with an easy smile. For the first time, his eyes opened to reveal cunning blue eyes. "You should also know yours, Tezuka Kunimitsu."

            Oishi had never felt it before. Between Tezuka and Fuji's silent battle, there was still room for a painful emotion to brew inside of Oishi. Then, for the first time, Oishi felt someone threatening to pull Tezuka away faster than sand could slip through his fingers. Simply with the way Tezuka firmly held onto Fuji's hand, looking straight into the other boy's eyes, it was obvious he was ready to leave the past behind.

            Since Fuji's silent 1-3 defeat, it became more and more common to find Fuji on Tezuka's left side while Oishi stood on Tezuka's right side. Fuji had easily become a Regular by the next ranking competition, being the top player in his block. Tezuka was the top player in his own block and between matches, he would quietly observe Fuji play. Oishi knew this because he did his best to stay as close to Tezuka as possible.

            "Oishi! Are you going to come with me after school today?" Kikumaru called out cheerfully, running up to his friend's side. "We haven't done anything together for such a long time now!"

            "I need to do some work with Tezuka today," Oishi said absentmindedly, walking straight down the hall. "Sorry, Eiji."

            "Oishi…" The redhead's eyebrows knitted together as he stopped walking down the hall. His blue eyes followed the taller boy's retreating form with visible confusion and sadness. "Did I…"

            "Eiji-senpai!" Momoshiro suddenly called, running over to the older boy's side. The violet eyed boy frowned slightly at sadness on Kikumaru's face as Oishi walked away. A temporary dislike for the green-eyed boy boiled in Momoshiro's heart. "Ne, Eiji-senpai! Come hang out with me after practice! There's this great place I just heard about…"

            "Sorry, Eiji," Oishi whispered quietly to himself, closing his eyes for a moment. Still, he kept walking down the hall. Backwards, farther away from the future. "I just can't let go of Tezuka yet…"

            Fear has always been a factor to impair a person's judgment; their vision of the future. Oishi was afraid. He had known Tezuka too long to let go so easily. It was still a little painful to let go of Kikumaru, but at that time, old bonds seemed more important than new. Cutting new bonds must surely be less painful than cutting the old…

            "Sorry to keep you waiting," Oishi said with a smile as he met Tezuka in front of the boys' tennis clubroom. "I hope I wasn't too late."

            "It's fine," Tezuka replied simply, walking ahead. Although he had the full weight of the world's expectations on his shoulders, he would still find time for Oishi. But then…

            "Just who do you think you are anyway?! Don't screw around when you play a match with me! Stop smiling!"

            …and Tezuka halted in his tracks.

            Fuji stood silently, leaning slightly against the fence with his trademark smile on his face. A small group of third years surrounded him, the one that had been yelling with a racquet in his shaking fist. Fuji remained silent and his smile remained immobile on his face.

            Narrowing his eyes in anger, the third year with the racquet raised his hand, shouting furiously, "I'll take care of that damn smile on your face!"

            Time slowed again and a familiar scene replayed itself in Oishi's head. Over and over like a reoccurring nightmare… A slight look of pain crossed Fuji's face when the racquet hit his ankle, but the smile never left his face. For some reason, that ghostly smile enveloped Oishi with cold fear. Suddenly, it felt as if time and run backwards and Tezuka stood on the court again with the racquet that had just connected to his elbow.

            "I wonder how long you've been playing tennis," Fuji said, his eyes opening slowly to reveal his sharp blue glare. "Even amateurs know a racquet is not to hurt people with."

            The tape was rewinding over and over again. Oishi felt his green eyes widening just a little bit more. It was nearly the same. The reaction, the sharp eyes… The difference, however, was that Fuji still had a bitter smile curved on his lips.

            Dropping his tennis bag, Tezuka stepped forward, his usually passive eyes blazing with fury. The third years quickly scattered at the sight of him, leaving Fuji leaning heavily on the fence. Walking to the other boy's side, Tezuka examined Fuji's blue eyes silently. Between their eyes, there was a brief understanding. Without another word, Tezuka pulled Fuji on his back began walking towards the school building.

            "Oishi," he said simply to his friend, pausing for a moment, "I'm sorry I can't make it today. Please go ahead without me."

            It was so painful to think about it. Oishi watched silently as Tezuka carried Fuji to the nurse's office with Tezuka's abandoned tennis bag at his feet. Did Tezuka carry Fuji because of his responsible nature, or did he do it because emotions had swallowed him whole? Oishi was almost afraid to find out. Even so, it would also be torture not to know.

            Holding Tezuka's tennis bag tightly, Oishi walked through the empty halls of Seigaku. His footsteps echoed enough to match the great pounding of his heart. Fear always did have its toll on the future, after all.

            "Does it hurt?"

            Oishi paused outside of the medical room. The door was slightly open, but he didn't dare go in. His feet froze to the ground by the demand of his head, for his heart demanded some answers.

            "You don't have to do this for me," Fuji said quietly as Tezuka examined his ankle. Sitting on the bed, Fuji's smiling expression returned. "You really are Mr. Perfect, aren't you, Tezuka?"

            "I don't want the same thing to happen to you," Tezuka said simply, ignoring Fuji's remark. "The same thing that happened to me…"

            Nodding slightly with understanding, Fuji smiled a bit sadly at the top of Tezuka's head as the other boy carefully applied medicine and bandages to his ankle. "My brother started living in the dorms of his new school today. He's left Seigaku for good."

            "Does it hurt?" Tezuka asked again quietly, bringing his gaze up to meet Fuji's bitter smile. This time, his question did not refer to the boy's ankle. Fuji's blue eyes opened and the silver cord connection between them connected by their gaze.

            "Maybe a little," Fuji admitted with a grief-filled smile directed at the ceiling. "Yuuta left because of me. I think that's why I felt I needed to be hit today. I deserve it, don't I?"

            Rising slightly, Tezuka sat in the chair by the bed, facing Fuji with a serious expression. "No, that's not true," he said, making Fuji look at him with surprise. "No one deserves that kind of punishment. Besides, it's obvious you've suffered enough emotionally."

            Without another word, Fuji slowly leaned forward and placed a tiny kiss on Tezuka's lips, bringing his hand to the boy's cheek. Behind them, Oishi  froze with silent dread, nearly dropping Tezuka's tennis bag. The blue-eyed boy pulled away slowly, not at all surprised by Tezuka's unresponsiveness.

            "Tezuka," he whispered quietly, his cool, slim fingers trembling slightly against the side of the boy's face. "Does it hurt? To carry so much alone… What is it that is still holding you back? Even though you keep a serious face, I'm sure… It must be painful to bear the world's expectations on your own. What is it that is keeping you from letting me near you?"

            Oishi felt his heart cringe at the scene he was witnessing. It took every ounce of his courage to remain silently standing there. Without his restraint, he was sure he may have dropped everything and ran away from everything. Bonds will always be painful to let go of.

            "Old bonds," Tezuka said slowly, closing his eyes as his left hand slowly balled into a fist, "are harder to break than new bonds. There is someone else that is important to me who would be too painful to replace."

            Fate seemed to pull tighter and tighter on the bonds between Tezuka and Oishi. Tighter still, nearly to the point of snapping… Inside, they felt the same, but were those feelings a hindrance to Tezuka's golden future?

            "There is a reason new bonds are formed, Tezuka," Fuji said quietly, bringing his hand down from Tezuka's face to rest on the taller boy's clenched fist. "As frightening as it may seem, it's not really a bad thing to make new friends. Even if you imagine it may have been better not meeting those people at all, there will always be a reason fate brought you together at some point. Perhaps it's the world's crushing view placed upon you that has made you forget, or maybe you still haven't conquered your own fear yet."

            "What about you then?" Tezuka responded quietly, his voice softening slightly. "You can't cling to your brother forever."

            "I know that for myself," the other boy said, bowing his head slightly so that his soft bangs hid his returning bitter smile. "I know you're trying to help me, Tezuka… Otherwise you wouldn't have carried me here or talked to me… Won't you let me help you carrying your burdens a little? Although I may be adding to those responsibilities or maybe I might make them all more troublesome, please just let me stand by your side."

            Watching Fuji smile weakly up at him, Tezuka let his fist soften. His expression relaxed slightly and his eyes slowly shut. "I was wrong before. New bonds are just as painfully let go of as old bonds…"

            Fuji's lips met Tezuka's again for a chaste kiss, but this time Tezuka silently responded and brought his hand up to gently hold Fuji's slim hand resting on the side of his face. Tezuka, who had never stopped along his path towards the future, had for a moment slowed down and allowed Fuji to walk along his side. The glass road beneath their feet became just a little stronger and Tezuka still looked straight ahead. Only now, Fuji stood smiling at his side.

            There had been many things Oishi had witnessed that made him deeply sorrowful inside, but something about the exchange between Tezuka and Fuji had allowed him to let go. Tezuka had also been afraid, but Oishi understood that Tezuka had chosen the right path. A step towards the new is also another step towards the future.

            Leaving Tezuka's tennis bag on the floor outside of the medical room, Oishi ran down the empty halls of the school and out the front gates. He would always be running after Tezuka towards the future and he would always keep his promise to catch Tezuka if he slipped, but Oishi realized that, like Tezuka, he also needed someone to be at his side. Not ahead and not behind, but someone that would always stand beside him.

            "Oishi-senpai? I thought you weren't coming."

            Oishi burst into the fast food restaurant where Momoshiro and Kikumaru sat. The green-eyed boy panted heavily while making his way towards the table where his important person sat. "Eiji…"

            Kikumaru froze visibly and continued to stare hard at his untouched food while both Oishi and Momoshiro watched him. The redhead blinked in surprise when Momoshiro patted his shoulder with a supportive grin before standing up. "Momo…"

            "Eiji-senpai, it's best for you not to get too far away from the kind of happiness you need," Momoshiro said cheerfully, sliding out of his seat. "I won't mind if Oishi takes my 'seat,' as long as you won't be sad anymore, Eiji-senpai. That's the last thing I want to see."

            "Thank you and I'm sorry," Oishi said softly when Momoshiro paused at his side on the way out. "I'm sorry for what I did before…"

            "No need for explanations, Oishi-senpai," the violet-eyed boy said with a bright smile. "Don't make Eiji-senpai sad anymore though!"

            Tiny piece by piece, the puzzle of finding emotions and seeking the road to the future had slowly been solved. As Oishi sat down next to Kikumaru, he pushed away the final constant fear of losing Tezuka out of his heart. It was now time to focus on restarting his run to the future and he was sure Kikumaru would be holding out his hand to pull him back on the path. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

            "I knew you'd catch up," Kikumaru said, a smile slowly spreading across his face. "You already know. Even if I go ahead, I'll still hold out my hand to pull you up. Will you take my hand this time, Oishi?"

            Between the bright golden future and the shining golden smile, Oishi had also created a golden bond between Kikumaru that would be forever unbreakable. There was nothing else to fear. The pain of being left behind had already vanished from the warmth of Kikumaru's outstretched hand. Oishi knew that as long as he held on to that outstretched hand, he would never be left behind again.

            "Definitely."

---

            "Oishi! Oo-i-shiiii!"

            Blinking, the green-eyed boy halted in his tracks and looked around to see who had called him. A smile broke out on his face when Kikumaru bounded towards him, laughing brightly. "What is it, Eiji?"

            "You were zoning out again!" the redhead laughed jogging to Oishi's side to pull lightly on his arm. "Ochibi, Fuji, and Tezuka are already at the head of the group! If you don't start running you're not going to make it! Come on!"

            Then, the outstretched hand was offered to Oishi again. Smiling without fear, Oishi reached for Kikumaru's hand and held on tightly. Light blushes appearing on both their faces, Kikumaru pulled Oishi ahead. Together, they ran past the blue-clothed second years and the short first years, up to the front of the group.

            Tezuka and Fuji ran side-by-side with Echizen close at their heels. The Golden Pair stayed close behind them on the path, their hands still tightly clasped together. No matter how many additions are made to the run towards the future, their hands—their golden bond—would never be separated again.

            At times, Oishi wished he had enough words to tell that important person how much he really cared about him. Words were unnecessary though. Kikumaru understood everything, even without words to clarify. It was part of their bond, tied emotions that would carry them throughout the path to the future.

            The golden bond will never die, no matter how many problems it will encounter. That important bond may stretch and lengthen, but will grown strong again with every timely reminisce brought upon it. Then, the tape will rewind and everything starts over again…

Owari.

--- ---

**A/N: **Eto…in the end, I'm not quite too sure if this turned out as nicely as I had hoped. =_=;; I love exploring the root of relationships though. I really doubt anything like this could really happen in Tenipuri, but… *laugh* that's what fan fiction is for!

I really enjoyed writing this piece…. Oishi-kun is such a gentle character. I love him to death w (o.o; isn't Hyotei's Akutagawa-kun's birthday tomorrow?!)  
Thank you very much for reading! Please leave a review if you can! Sankyuu~! ^_^V


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